Gratitude Photo Challenge Day Day 4: Leaves

Day 4 of my Gratitude photo challenge was leaves. Growing up in New Hampshire, I love the fall and all the fall foliage, so Autumn in Southern California can be slightly disappointing at times! However, I am convinced that the tree growing right outside our front door, which has the most beautiful red and orange fall leaves, was planted there just for me!


God has so abundantly blessed us, and just one of the little things I have to be thankful for is this little reminder of home.

Gratitude Photo Challenge and Thankful Tree

So way back in January I started a project 52- one photo a week for the whole year. I started off strong, posted some of the pictures that I took here on the blog and shared them via a Project 52 that I joined. Then, in March, two little mischief makers entered our world and life became a little, well, crazy. That combined with the fact that these mischief makers became the subject of most of my pictures and thus they couldn't be posted, my project 52 got left behind. (I also blame mischief maker #1 and #2 on my failed New Year's resolution to fold and put away the laundry as soon as it came out of the dryer, but that's a whole other story).
I've been thinking that I wanted to start challenging myself a little more photographically (is that how you use that word??) and then came across this photography challenge on pinterest (you can find it over at positivelypresent.com).

Not only was it exactly the kind of challenge I was looking for, but I also love that the theme of it is gratitude, something I've been learning so much about as we try to teach E. what it means to be thankful. So often it's the things I'm trying to teach the kids that I realize I need to work on myself. So here is my picture for day 1: Favorite Food

Bagel with pumpkin cream cheese and coffee!

I probably won't post my pictures for each day, but I'll highlight a few over the weeks to come.

In light of that a few nights ago we started a "Thankful Tree." We collected branches and put them together in a mason jar to make our "tree," and then each night we each write down on a paper leaf what we are thankful for that day.



I'm not sure E. completely gets what we are doing- the first day she said she was thankful for coffee (so are mommy and daddy!)- but hopefully she'll catch on as we talk about what we are thankful for each night.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18